Establishment of an Interim Steering Committee for the Theatre and Dance Alliance

On 15 February, an Interim Steering Committee of 17 individuals from the dance and theatre sector met to adopt an ambitious 6-week plan to launch a representative structure by 29 March.  The absence of such a structure was evident in the initiation of a petition to remove the minister by an ad hoc group and by a submission made to parliament on the challenges within the sector by another ad hoc group, the Theatre Collective.  There was clearly a need for a structure that coordinated and spoke on behalf of the dance and theatre sector.  STAND Foundation initiated this meeting and I served as the secretariat, driving the programme which included devising and adopting a new constitution, recruiting at least 250 members and hosting an election for a National Steering Committee.  The ISC met its goals and the new NSC met for the first time on Monday 29 March.